Traveling apron or conveyer.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TRAVELING APRON OR CONVEYER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1905.

Application filed December 20, 1904. Serial No. 237,683,

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IsAAo TROLLEY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Grantley Cottage, Grantham, in the county of Lincoln, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Traveling Aprons or Conveyors, such as are Used for Self-Binding Harvesters or Reaping-Machines, of which the following is a specification. I My invention relates to improvements in traveling aprons or conveyers, such as are used for self-binding harvesters or reaping-machines, the object of my invention being to provide means whereby the position of the apron may be reversed or turned end for end, so as to bring the rear edge to the front of the machine, and vice versa, this being of especial advantage when one edge of the apron becomes worn or when the front partof the apron is wetted, owing to the cutting of a wet crop. Hitherto it has not been practicable to reverse the apron, as hereinbefore described, owing to the arrangement of the connecting-straps and of the flap covering the same and the space between the ends of the apron and which could only travel in one direction.

According to my invention I provide on each end of the apron a series of eyes or buckles, and I use detachable connecting-pieces the position of which can be arranged relatively with the eyes or buckles according to the direction in which the apron is to run. Furthermore, I provide a flap on each end of the apron or I use a detachable flap.

To enable my invention to be fully understood, I will describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of an apron or conveyer having my improvements applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively an edge view and a plan view of one of the connecting-straps detached and drawn to an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is an end view illustrating a modification, and Fig. 6 is a view illustrating another modification.

a 6 indicate the two ends of the apron to be connected, each of which has attached to it for instance, through the medium of short straps 0 0.a series of buckles (Z d.

e e are straps for connecting the two ends of the apron together, each of the said straps having attached to it at one end a hook-shaped connecting-piecef, (shown in Figs. 3 and 4,) adapted to be engaged with the bar of one of the buckles, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, while the other end of the strap is connected to the corresponding, buckle on the opposite edge in the ordinary manner. In practice these hooks ff are adapted to engage with the bars of the buckle in a similar manner to that in which the links of a sprocket-chain are connected, so as to avoid any liability of the said hooks becoming detached from the buckles in any ordinary position which they may assume in operation.

With the arrangement described it will be readily understood that if the apron is to be reversed in the manner before referred to it will only be necessary to disconnect the hookshaped connecting-pieces from the buckles with which they are engaged and attaching them to the corresponding set of buckles, so that the straps will trail in the required manner.

The ends a 6 of the apron are respectively provided with flaps rt 6, which when the apron is in operation are laid one over the other, as clearly shown, the uppermost flap being the one attached to the leading end of the apron.

In practice eyes may be formed in the ends of the apron and in the flaps to permit of-laces being passed through the said eyes to hold the flaps in place.

Instead of using buckles cZ (Z plain eyes 9 9 may be used, a strap in this case being passed through both eyes and connected, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, the strap being arranged in such a manner that the free end thereof will trai Instead of using flaps a 5, attached to the edges of the apron, as hereinbefore described, I sometimes make use of a detachable flap it, as shown in Fig. 6, and which may be attached in any suitable manner to either end of the apron, according to the direction of travel.

It will be understood that I do not confine my invention to the above-described form of connection between the two ends of the apron, as it will be obvious that this could be modified. The essential features of my invention are the arrangement of the straps in such a way that their free ends will always trail in whichever direction the belt travels, and so not interfere with the movement of the said apron upon the rollers, and the arrangement whereby the flap which covers the gap between the ends of the apron can also be made to trail, as described.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. A traveling apron or conveyor, having its ends provided with means for engaging connecting devices, each of said ends being provided with a flap adapted to cover the space between the ends of said apron, whereby said flaps may be so arranged that the uppermost flap will trail in whichever direction the apron is driven, substantially as described.

2. A traveling apron or conveyer having its ends provided with opposite attaching devices for engaging connecting devices, and a plurality of connecting devices, each provided at one end with means for detachably engaging the said attaching devices, and at the other end with means for adjustably engaging said attaching devices, whereby said connecting devices may be reversed to enable them to trail in whichever direction the apron is driven, substantially as described.

3. A traveling apron or conveyer having its ends provided with oppositely-arranged buckles,a series of connecting-straps each provided at one end with a hook to detachably engage one of said buckles, and at the other end with a series of holes to adjustably engage the opposite buckle whereby said straps may be reversed to enable them to trail in whichever direction the apron is driven, substantially as described.

4. A traveling apron or conveyer having its ends provided with oppositely-arranged buckles, aseries of connecting-straps each provided at one end with a hook to detachably engage one of said buckles, and at the other end with a series of holes to adjustably engage the opposite buckle whereby said straps may be reversed to enable them to trail in whichever direction the-apron is driven, and a flap connected to each end of the apron and extending over the said straps and the space between the ends of said apron, substantially as described.

5. A traveling apron or conveyer having its ends provided with oppositely-arranged attaching devices, reversible adjustable connecting devices t'or engaging opposite attaching devices, and a flap secured to each end of the apron and extending over said connecting devices and the space between the ends of said apron, substantially as described.

ISAAC TROLLEY.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. BOUSFIELD, C. G. REDFERN. 

